SHORT STORIES - DOES ANYONE READ OR WRITE THEM?

You can network here and elsewhere. Check out the Publishing Outside Of Gather group for helpful information and other places where people can see your work. You can also start a blog and link it to your page here at Gather as well as other places on the Net. The trick to getting your stories seen is to connect with writers. Good luck!

Network, network, network. Writers write, are resilient and keep plodding along. You are a writer. Ever writer starts somewhere and keeps learning and growing.

J Corn: Thanks so much. I will certainly follow your suggestions.

The best thing would be to find other people who have posted short stories, then read and comment on their work. Then you can ask them to do the same for you.

Just don't leave some generic 'Hey! Nice story! Now go read mine.' comment. =)

Thomas, all was going well with gather as a writers network, until Yahoo shut down its boards. Then a flock of flockers arrived. However, I have just finished a short short and posted it just now "USMC Recruiter Gus and the Day of Joy"

Thomas: Welcome to the club. The shortest story I know is, "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Donald: Did you read my short story entitled "An Incident in Time" published just yesterday? As a published author I would greatly appreciate your critical comments. Please be brutally honest.

I like short stories because I can read them and then get on doing something else, knowing the ending...if I don't have time for a full book reading. Books of short stories are great. Your short I read and enjoyed. I wrote two shorts recently for the other site I compete for money on, the ideas have to be the site's ideas, but children's magazines buy the ones they like the best. Not much money for each, but good exposure for posting.
Send out a message when your short is finished...letting us know it is a short story....I'll come by and read it...I don't have time to read everything posted everyday, but stories are why I joined gather....short, book length, etc. The articles letting me know something: I read if I see them and they sound interesting....

Also, make sure your tags are something that will tie to other stories or articles...people not already in your group will come by from seeing the tags.
I don't know how much help this will be, but keep writing. Some of us enjoy it.

Shirley: Thank you, this was helpful.

I posted a short story here on Gather, and got some good feedback. You might check out the group No Whine, Just Champagne;they're a fiction discussion group.

Thomas, I got pretty good critique on Bedfordshire Tales-The Courtship (Critique)

but I just went there and can't find what group I posted it to or the tags.

There is a group called The Writers Roundtable. That might have been it.

It's never easy to get good critiques of your work, and I think in large part it's because to offer a solid critique means an investment in time. As a writer, I've found the best way to get solid critiques is to either find a writing group that's a critique circle, or to find yourself a critique partner, someone who you can form a give and take with -- and the best way to do that is just to start chatting with other writers, test out groups, and put yourself out there. Good luck finding what you need.

A.F.Stewart, John Philipp and Lisa K: Thank you all for your valuable comments.

I like to write short stories with a twist but I find they dont get a lot of reading here on gather. the comments I get are great and thats what keeps me going.

I have been away for a few days interstate and have a lot of catching up to do. Will look at yours later as i am off to work soon.

Keep writing them.

Thanks Maria. I feel the same way you do. I'll be looking forward to your critical comments.

John O: Thank you for your suggestion. How do I locate like-minded members?

I both read and write short stories- especially if they are very short. Feel free to drop by my page and let me know when you have something new.

Donald, one of my younger bros. (and far more intelligent) used to teach latin. What intrigued him about the famous "I came, I saw, I conquered" missive from Julius Caesar was that this general used to write long dispatches extolling his own praises. So my bro did some scholarly sleuthing about why such a short letter.
I'll do my best to recall what he gleaned -
The Roman senate, fearful of the power Caesar was acquiring along with his victories, at first tried to plant spies among the scribes. Unfortunately, the scribes "were killed during a battle" and so Caesar wrote that he was now forced then to send his own dispatches back to Rome. Then the senate conceived of sending Caesar to Gaul, the last unconquered land, and from where no legion had ever returned. However, obviously Caesar was victorious. So the very short missive Veni, Vidi, Vici, had but one meaning. "I was sent to the ends of the earth, I was vicotrious, and I AM COMING HOME.

There are lots of us who read and write short stories.

Terry Finley

http://terryrfinley.bravehost.com/

Erin: I will do that. Have you read my update to "An Incident in Time"? I'd be glad to have your comments.

Terry: I will check you out later today. Thanks.

I love to write short stories too. I posted only one short story on here on gather and only got a few comments and they didn't help. So I'll read you stories and you read mine lol!

I am putting together a book titled "Crossing the Rainbow Bridge" for people who have stories about their pets who have crossed over. It is very difficult for me to read many of the stories. It is absolutely heartbreaking.

If anyone knows anyone who might have a story they want to place in the book; please send me an e-mail and I will send them the information on the book. Or send them this link: http://www.geocities.com/trampolineone/survive3/srv601.htm


Roger

don't you ever give up on your dream. think of a storie that is true or not, but give it heart, put your soul behind your words. fell the action that the words give you, then others will come , I wrote a true story. as hard as it was for me to write. feel your words. then write.

I have stores, want some.

Hello Thomas.

Nice to meet you.

Gather is a social network, parading at times like a writer's network. I've done what you've done, searched Gather groups boasting writers, critiques, the like. I joined, read stories, commented, critiqued and got nothing in return.

Nothing - ignored.

I critique on two other sites, which is not to say they're any better, just not loaded down with games and posts whining about Mom not coming to Christmas dinner, Obama's a commie and we're all going to die in 2012.

I have a group here on Gather. It's a secret group, me the only member. I call it "Serious Literary Deconstruction." If I find four other people on Gather who actual know what that means and willing to join, I might go public. To me, literary deconstruction is the Holy Grail of critique.

I started a critique group. I asked members to comment on all posts and I'd comment on theirs. "The lovin' you get is equal to the lovin' you give." - Fritz the Cat. I didn't even ask for critiques -- merely comments. I did all the heavy lifting, closed the group. Then, I started another group: "Writers Who Don't Suck." Yeah, you guessed it. Not too many people joined. I closed it.

I belong to seven groups now, four of which I own. My wife, on the other hand, belongs to hundreds. She's got the right idea, in it for the Gather Points.

Join and post to my Short Story and More! and I'll get around to it.

If you wish a serious critique, you have to tell me. MOST people on Gather simply want praise for anything they post. I don't waste my time. It's the nature of the forum.

Karl: Thank you. Your comment would make a very interesting article itself. I have posted a number of short stories since I joined in 2005 but without much response. I hasten to add that I am NOT a writer; most of my postings now are in the realm of non-fiction, with just a little silliness thrown in to appease the masses.

Karl: The story to which I refer is entitled "An Incident in Time" and can be found on this site.

visit: http://lyricalpassionpoetry.page.tl

Thomas,
I written short stories and posted them on gather. I even have a book cover of my short story posted, but not too many comments. However, you shouldn't give up just keep writing your stories. You can continue posting them on gather, and other websites. Don't give up, Thomas.

Elaine: Thank you for the encouragement.